Defense Secretary to Visit Canada, Idaho

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2018 —
Defense Secretary James N. Mattis will depart Jan. 15 for a trip that will take him to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he will participate in the welcome dinner of the Vancouver Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Security and Stability on the Korean Peninsula, defense officials announced today.

The meeting, cohosted by the U.S. and Canada, will bring together foreign ministers from the 16 nations that provided combat, combat support or combat service support forces to the U.N. Command during the Korean War, as well as other important parties, such as South Korea and Japan, State Department officials said in December.

Discussions at the meeting will focus on advancing and strengthening diplomatic efforts toward a secure, prosperous and denuclearized Korean Peninsula, defense officials said.

The meeting “will demonstrate international solidarity against North Korea’s unlawful nuclear and missile programs, as well as address next steps in the pressure campaign against the North Korean regime,” State Department officials noted.

On Jan. 16, the secretary will travel to Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho to visit the 366th Fighter Wing, known as the "Gunfighters." While there, he will visit with service members and hold a town hall meeting.

The wing is unique in that it includes a Singapore air force training squadron, the 428th Fighter Squadron, which provides Singaporean pilots and crew with advanced weapons and tactics training for the F-15SG Strike Eagle.